BRITISH ODONATA IN 1912. 183 



summer dragonflies in the New Forest, its failure in 1912 is 

 somewhat remarkable. I did not meet with Ischnura pumilio, 

 but that may possibly have been over, and the same must be 

 said of it for the corresponding period of the previous year. As 

 late as August 29th I met with a recently emerged S. scoticum, 

 and found the empty nymph-skin close at hand. 



On August 9th I went to the pond in the New Forest, where 

 I captured Sympetrumfonscolombii in 1911. I could not find it, 

 but there were scarcely any dragonflies at the pond, the wind 

 being rather high and somewhat cool. On the way thither I 

 captured, however, a female S. fonscolombii, which had a rosy 

 blush to the abdomen. There was a chip out of its rather glossy 

 wings ; otherwise it was in good condition. It appears certain 

 that there was an immigration of this species into Britain in 

 1911; but what was the origin of this female? It was taken 

 home alive. There I held it by its wings and allowed the 

 extremity of the abdomen to dip into a watch-glass of water. 

 Very soon it commenced egg-laying, and I obtained a large 

 number. A few were put in formalin and water for examination ; 

 the rest I reserved to see if they would hatch, hoping, if they 

 did so and throve, to get imagines in 1914. 



When first laid on August 9th the eggs were whitish in 

 colour. On August 11th most had become yellowish, and 

 perhaps they were fertile, while the unchanged ones were not. 

 Though when first laid the eggs appeared to be quite free and 

 mobile, there was on August 21st, and had been for some time, 

 a film containing them and attaching them lightly to the 

 bottom of the vessel in which they had been placed. At the 

 same time it kept them separate from one another, and no 

 doubt would serve on occasion as a means of protection from 

 injury. Perhaps this film may swell up after oviposition, as in 

 the case of frog-spawn. The eggs are nearly elliptical in section 

 (see figure) the longer axis being '5 millimeters or 

 a trifle over, the minor axis being about two thirds 

 of the longer one. One apex of the egg is a trifle 

 more pointed than the other, and at this more 

 pointed end is what looks like a small pedicel, but 

 which may perhaps be connected with the micro- 

 pyle. The slightly granulated surface does not 

 show markings of any kind. Several almost 

 transparent little nymphs had come out by the 

 morning of September 4th, and probably had ^gg of s,mp.tr«,« 

 hatched that morning. I could see nothing of yonscoiombu 

 a pellicle surrounding any of them : all their legs ' ^ ''"'• 



seemed to be free. Others came out for a few days, till 

 eventually there were quite a large number. The little nj'mphs 

 swim quite freely with the help of their legs, moving forward in 

 awkward zig-zag jerks. When they rest, their mid-legs are 



